


tell the world i'm coming home

by Aelig



Series: Dick & Jason Week 2021 [4]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Nightwing (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Character Death, Dick Grayson Gets a Hug, Dick Grayson Needs a Break, Dick Grayson Needs a Hug, Dick Grayson is Batman, Dick Grayson is Not Okay, Earth-197, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Grief, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Jason Todd Gets A Hug, Jason Todd Needs A Hug, Jason Todd Steals the Batmobile Tires, Jason Todd is Red Hood, Jason Tood is Not Okay, Lian is Alive Again, Sharing a Bed, Watch me - Freeform, and I will die on this hill, coming home, for Bruce and Lian, it's talked about, mention of depression, they're brothers and they support each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-12 08:15:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29381925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aelig/pseuds/Aelig
Summary: "He should think about Damian’s next test at school, and this story Steph told him last time - that was funny, and good, and the only things he wanted to focus on.“That” - and as he stopped on his tracks, his gaze on the Batmobile, he added in his mind, “and the guy busy stealing my tires.”Bulky, tall, with dark hair, whistling a tune under his breath like he wasn’t bothered at all by the crime he was committing, he was already on his third tire, the other two pilled beside him."OR: Batman!Dick comes back to the Batmobile to find somone stealing its tires.
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Jason Todd, Dick Grayson & Lian Harper, Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne, Lian Harper & Jason Todd, Stephanie Brown & Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne
Series: Dick & Jason Week 2021 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2153631
Comments: 5
Kudos: 141
Collections: DickJay Week 2021





	tell the world i'm coming home

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone!!! I hope you're all okay!! 
> 
> SO this fic is for the prompts "Batman Dick finds Jason stealing his tires" and "Hush, Little Wing"! I absolutely loved writing it sodihfo   
> Also!! It's a direct follow-up from my fic [it's always darkest before the dawn](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27512770) that I wrote for [Comfortember](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1996051)! It can help to read it to understand some things in the fic, but it can also be read alone if you want, it should be clear enough without it dofihg
> 
> A lot of thanks to [AgapantoBlu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgapantoBlu) for being my beta with this one!! :heart:

The night was dark, silent, and very lonely.

Robin was down with a cold, and Batgirl had her own patrol route - right now, she had to deal with a gang trying to start a war with one of their rivals.

Dick didn’t envy her.

Oracle wasn’t here to chat with him either - she was busy with the Birds of Prey.

So, he was alone, and trying not to dwell on the feeling as he made his way back toward the Batmobile. If he let it linger - well, he would think about Cass alone in Hong Kong, Tim who-knows-where around the world  _ again _ , Jason still running around  _ somewhere _ , without any precise whereabouts about where the somewhere was. And he couldn’t think about that - he knew how it ended, when he let himself open his mind to these thoughts for more than two minutes.

He should think about Damian’s next test at school, and this story Steph told him last time - that was funny, and good, and the only things he wanted to focus on.

“ _ That” _ \- and as he stopped on his tracks, his gaze on the Batmobile, he added in his mind,  _ “and the guy busy stealing my tires.” _

Bulky, tall, with dark hair, whistling a tune under his breath like he wasn’t bothered at all by the crime he was committing, he was already on his third tire, the other two pilled beside him.

Underneath his cowl, Dick deadpanned.

Without a sound, he landed beside the man’s back, then approached him enough to be sure of his deduction. Like he wasn’t, but it was Gotham, after all - better be sure before doing anything.

He crossed his arms on his chest and raised an eyebrow. “Are you serious right now?”

Dick didn’t hide his smirk when Jason jumped, startled by his sudden presence. His little brother turned his head toward him, turquoise eyes wide, bangs of hair in his face and expression surprised. Perfect. Dick was so glad for the camera in his lenses.

“ Oh, come on! You weren’t supposed to be back now!” whined Jason, and Dick snorted.

“ Uh-uh. You know, when you want to talk to me, you can also just call me instead of stealing my tires.”

“ I don’t have a phone,” blurted out Jason with the most unconvincing tone ever. “And what even told you I was the one to steal the tires, uh? Maybe the real thief flew away when he saw me and I was actually putting them back, after all.”

Dick raised his second eyebrow. “You’re a repeated offender, Little Wing. I know it’s you.” He wanted to keep the banter going on - because it was too good, considering how things had been left after Bruce’s death, about everything that had changed, and this piece of familiarity was exactly what he needed at the moment. But - Dick had some issues to address first, too, or his mind wouldn’t fully be on the joy of seeing his little brother again. “And I know for a fact that you do have a phone, considering I left you a vocal message every week since you left and you never even acknowledged them.”

Jason lowered his head and looked at his hands. Dick mastered reading his little brother’s body language well enough to know it was how Jason expressed his guilt. Somehow, he felt nearly happy than his brother expressed this emotion. On the other hand, he was also glad that his brother was trusting him enough, even after everything that had happened, to let himself be open like that.

“ I don’t mind you leaving, Jase. But I would have preferred knowing where you were, or at least if you were okay and unhurt.”

Jason sighed heavily. “I know. I’m… I’m sorry. I knew it would worry you and I… I still did it.”

Dick hummed. The alley was tucked away in the darkness - no one could see or hear them, and they were perfectly isolated enough to not risk anything.

And Dick was tired. He just wanted to go home and sleep for twenty hours straight.

He pulled out his cowl, his blue eyes glued to Jason. Jason was looking at him, now. “I won’t say it’s alright, because it’s still making me mad, but I guess that could have been worse. I just… I’m glad you’re here right now.”

Jason blinked, and Dick realized with a startle that his little brother was on the verge of tears. He immediately crouched in front of him, arms open, and Jason fell against his chest, face buried into Dick’s neck.

“ It was so much,” he murmured, and Dick passed a hand through Jason’s hair. “It was so hard. I… I wanted to give him a chance. I was so angry, all the time, but I felt like I still… Like I still really could be his son, you know? And then- And then he died. He’s  _ gone _ .” Jason’s voice broke on a sob, and Dick closed his eyes, heart at his lips. “ _ Dad’s gone. _ ”

“ I know,” murmured Dick as low as he could. Even after all this time - he didn’t like saying it. Moving out of the Manor, taking guardianship over his younger siblings, even leading Wayne Enterprise were easy enough compared to admitting out loud that his dad was dead.

Maybe he just needed more time.

“ _ I just wanted to be his son _ ,” said Jason again and again and again, fully sobbing now.

“ You’d always been, Jase. No matter what - you’ve always been his son.”

It didn’t stop his little brother’s sobs, but at least his broken pleas faded away.

They stayed like that for a long time - until all of Jason’s tears dried out, and Dick’s ran out of his eyes silently. He felt like a broken boy, a broken toy - he wasn’t functioning well, only waking up on mornings and eating and taking care of himself because he needed to set an example for the only two siblings he had left. He knew he was burnt out, trying to manage Gotham, Wayne Enterprise, the Teen Titans, the Justice League. Dick - well, Dick wasn’t one to fly away from responsibilities. If people needed help, he was always ready to come and give a hand.

It was still too much, now.

“ I’ll stay, this time,” murmured Jason into his hair, his head moved a little against him. “I’m sorry for leaving you alone.”

“ Hush, Little Wing. It’s in the past. I’m going to need time to really forgive you - but I know that you are sorry. I know you needed the time away, and to grieve in your own way, and I’m not mad at you, alright? You don’t need to apologize again, really.”

Jason sniffled, then nodded against him. He didn’t let go yet, though, and Dick didn’t release him either.

“ To be fair,” started Dick, knowing full well it would get the banter back, “I always knew where you were, but still. I would have preferred if it had come from you.”

His little brother immediately stopped cuddling him to watch him with surprise. “What? How? You didn’t place a tracker on me, did you?”

Dick snorted. “No, I didn’t.”

“ So how?” Jason was squeezing his eyes, now, obviously thinking about what could have sold him away - he found soon enough, and Dick relished on his betrayed expression. “Oh  _ no _ . They  _ didn’t _ .”

“ Oh, they did,” confirmed Dick without an ounce of shame in him. “But to be fair, Roy and Kori were mine first.” He sent a pointed look to his brother, who simply crossed his arms on his chest and pouted.

Dick could suddenly remember, all these times he teased Jason when he was still twelve and tiny, when he pouted the exact same way and whined about him being the worst big brother  _ ever _ . And seeing this exact same expression on his little brother's older, more mature face… It made something burn and tug at his heart, and he could still feel the pain of Jason’s death and all these thoughts about never getting to see him growing up. And now - now Jason was nearly an adult, his round cheeks gone and carved, his hair straighter and with a white bang, his eyes the same pale color but with something more  _ cold _ , dead in it.

It wasn’t the first time he thought about it since Jason came back, far from it - but somehow, it hit differently now. Jason had been gone for months, and now he had changed again - he had a new scar on his jaw, his hair were longer, he was a little bit taller and bulkier, his freckles were back on his skin again.

Dick… didn’t want to miss that again. Jason growing up,  _ changing _ . He had lost so much already.

“ What?” asked Jason, head tilted, eyebrows raised, and Dick wondered where he got this habit.

“ Nothing. I’m just… really glad to have you back.” And, before he could close himself again, Dick added, “I missed you.”

Jason smiled, and it felt like the first time in forever Dick was seeing it. And it felt  _ nice _ .

Whatever happened when Jason was away helped him, somehow. He looked… more settled. More relaxed, maybe. Like he was feeling a little bit more sure about himself.

“ I missed you too, Big Bird.”

Dick smiled, too. “I hope so.” He hummed again, looking over his brother - his brown jacket, black pants, black shirt, black boots. Everything looked clean, and Jason had obviously not been starved - even if Roy and Kori had all of Dick’s trust on looking after his little brother, he still wanted to make sure by himself. “So, tell me. Who convinced you to actually come back?”

Jason looked embarrassed, now. He passed a hand on his neck, gripping at it with a half-smile. Then, he looked at with something like pride in his eyes, and Dick knew whatever happened wasn’t bad. “Would you believe it if I told you it was an actual four-year-old?”

Dick raised an eyebrow again. “Little Wing… I’ll need this story.”

* * *

When he woke up in the morning, Dick had twenty messages from Roy, two from Kori, a missed call from Donna, and nearly a hundred incomprehensible babble from Wally. Weirdly enough, there was nothing from Garth. Their groupchat was flooded. Mia sent him an ominous,  _ I would say I’m sorry for Jason but he should be the one apologizing to us _ .

Alright. What did he miss again?

“ Don’t look,” mumbled a voice against him, and Dick realized that what he took for a warm and comfortable blanket was actually his little brother.

“ Good morning, Jase. What happened?”

“…  You texted Roy after what I told you yesterday. And called him. Left him a voicemail and all. Even Damian was impressed by your insults. Pretty sure Steph was on the floor at one point.”

Ah. Yes.  _ Lian. _

If Roy didn’t bring her over in the following hour, Dick would murder him. With love. But he deserved to be mad - the sudden disappearance of two of his closest friends and his little brother after the death of the little girl had been hard enough to swallow without adding to that the fact that they were on a quest to get Lian back. And that they really did it - that Lian was ready back with them.

Dick… Dick needed a proof, as stupid as it could sound.

“ Right,” he said to not let his brother wonder alone.

“…  Are you still mad?” slowly asked Jason.

Was he? Dick pondered about it a moment - but even if he was feeling kind of annoyed, he was mostly - hopeful. He didn’t want to be disappointed, and to see his hopes crash and burn once again. But - well. He trusted Roy, and Kori, and Jason. If they said Lian was back, and that it was really here… And even if he was still mad at them from dropping off the radar for so long, he could understand where they were coming from.

‘ _ RDV at TT in 2h’ _ , was saying Roy’s latest message.

Dick could sense a happy reunion with his closest and oldest friends and their assorted children. The thought made him smile - but in the meantime, he had other things to do. Other  _ very _ important things, that deserved all of his attention as well.

He looked down at Jason, who was still looking at him, waiting for his answer. Dick pressed a kiss into his hair before reassuring him.

“ It’s okay, Little Wing. You’re back, and that’s what matters now.”

(And he thought every word of it.)

* * *

(Later, they would have breakfast with Damian, Stephanie, Alfred, and they would talk and discuss about the future and only it, they would tease each other and feel like their family was slowly coming back together and they would feel  _ happy _ .)

(Later, Dick would go to Titan Tower and see his oldest and closest friends and hug Lian until he was sure she was real and breathing and  _ alive _ , and they would cry and hug and feel whole again.)

(Later, Dick and Jason would talk about Batman and Red Hood and Nightwing, and choose a path for the future.)

(But for now, Dick was sinking in the warmth and love of his little brother, finally in his arms, finally back home.)

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it!
> 
> So I hope I'll manage to finish the day six this evening dpifhv (and after that, I need to write my day three bc I have my idea and all ofidhv I can't wait to write it 8D)
> 
> Take care everyone, a lot of love for you all!! :heart:


End file.
